MBABANE – The two brothers implicated in the alleged killing of local rapper Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes and his friend Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane are out of pocket, and can’t afford legal fees.
This is a development which is in stark contrast with the alleged glamorous lifestyle they reportedly led at Mahwalala township prior to their apprehension early last year.
Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande are said to have lived a life of glamour, throwing parties almost every weekend and entertaining friends and the feminine gender in their rented flat at Mahwalala, before law enforcement officers caught up with them.
A female friend was also reported to have conceived during their short stint at the densely populated location, situated outside the capital.
Immediately after their arrest the pair lined up a team of competent lawyers to fight their extradition and the process dragged longer than the wishes of authorities.
Nevertheless, the prosecution managed to convince the Manzini Magistrates Court that it was in the interest of justice for the pair to be extradited to their home country, South Africa, to face murder charges alongside others implicated in the widely reported murder of the entertainers.
This is precisely the reason why the brothers launched an appeal to ask the High Court of Eswatini to reverse the decision by the Manzini Magistrates Court last year allowing the kingdom to extradite them back home.
So, on Tuesday, March 18, the prosecution was expected to give assurances that the duo will be given a fair trial once extradited to South Africa, but the matter ended up not seeing the light of the day.
This got everyone following the case closer wondering what could have happened.
The matter was postponed to May 08, to allow the brothers to put their house in order, as court officials chose to put it.
It later transpired that the pair had parted ways with their attorney, a development which will see the fighting of their extradition taking even much longer.
It was later explained that the extension was meant to allow the brothers ample time to get a new legal representative.
This has given the indication that the appeal process might last longer than previously anticipated as the pair is now expected to give instructions to a new attorney, who will also have to file in new papers.
Indications are that the two brothers may retain the initial reasons for fighting the extradition, like citing security concerns. So, the new attorney may choose to press forward on parallel paths with the previous one, with the possibility of making a few alterations.
The previous lawyer reluctantly confirmed that the fallout “has to do with legal fees.”
He was speaking during an interview conducted after the botched hearing.
A court official also confirmed the latest development. The official said the Ndimande brothers now have until April 22, to file new papers. Their appeal is vigorously opposed by the prosecution.
The brothers are accused of allegedly killing AKA and Tibz outside a restaurant in Durban back in 2023.
They were arrested early last year in Mbabane and subsequently charged with four counts of murder, attempted murder and a conspiracy to commit murder.
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